July 8, 2026, 2:06 p.m. ET
American fitness influencer Connor Murphy has reportedly died at 32 years old.
Murphy, known for his “looksmaxxing” and workout content on social media, drowned in a lake near a luxury rental estate in the Bang Phli district of Thailand Tuesday, June 7, according to local outlets Bangkok Post and Thairath.
At around 3 p.m. local time, Samut Prakan Province Police responded to a call of a man acting erratically after Murphy attempted to get into a passerby’s car and grew agitated when they refused. When police arrived, the content creator reportedly fled to the village lake and swam until he was exhausted and eventually drowned, per the outlets.
Rescue divers searched for approximately 30 minutes before recovering Murphy’s body about 65 feet out and bringing it to shore, according to the reports. His body reportedly showed no signs of assault and was sent to the hospital for an autopsy.
A later search of Murphy’s vehicle allegedly uncovered two unused syringes and a bag with several white pills inside, said the Bangkok Post.
The rental property, which Murphy and his unnamed 22-year-old girlfriend had allegedly been living in for three months, had also been vandalized. The girlfriend reportedly told authorities the content creator covered the entire house, including the electrical appliances, with paint in the middle of the night while she was asleep.
She said they had been dating for three years but only began living together a few months prior the incident, reportedly noting she hadn’t seen Murphy exhibit any concerning behavior before. The investigation is ongoing.
USA TODAY reached out to Thai police for comment.
Fitness influeners react to Connor Murphy’s death
Several friends of Murphy confirmed his death in Instagram tributes, including bodybuilders Jon Skywalker Brannon and Korean bodybuilder Phil, as well as fitness coach Patrick Lyons.
In his lengthy message, Lyons wrote that Murphy “fundamentally changed the course of my life due to the impact he had on my content and my following.” He further alleged Murphy “experimented with an illicit, extremely powerful drug in 2020 that unveiled a previously-unknown underlying mental illness” and led to “a psychotic break that turned Connor into someone far different from the person I once knew.”
Lyons then speculated on the cause of Murphy’s death, saying, “He was in a state of mania or psychosis, likely due to PEDs + mind-altering drugs.”
Murphy gained his social media following on YouTube in the 2010s, and has become part of the “looksmaxxing” trend, where people chase physical perfection. This can include intense exercise, the use of substances and surgery.
Murphy’s final upload on his YouTube channel, which has nearly 2.4 million followers, was uploaded less than a week before he died and appeared to be on the topic of death. In the minute-long video, he can be seen dancing, bouncing a basketball and pretending to play a mini violin as rock music played in the background.
At the end, he said people “have an unhealthy relationship with death.” The caption read, “Obituary Pending. This is purely a satirical acting performance. This dramatization does not depict any true events. Nothing in this video should be replicated and everything performed abides by all laws and regulations.”
He also posted multiple videos and skits to his Instagram page in recent days.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.
